Angel In The Snow
by Shimmer712
Summary: Naruto gets his first taste of kindness


**Disclaimer: **I OWN NOTHING! NOTHING I TELL YOOOUUU! Sobs

**Summary: ** Naruto has his first taste of human kindness

**Angel In The Snow**

Four year old Naruto shivered pathetically in his thin coat, the light shower of snow falling around and on him as he trudged down the street. Sighing, he dropped onto a step and sat down. His stomach grumbled, complaining of neglect. The blond boy sighed again, lower lip trembling. Tears prickled at his eyes and he hurriedly blinked them away. He didn't understand the dirty looks he was given, the glares of hate and disgust. He didn't know why the other children wouldn't play with him or why the adults were so mean to him.

His eyes snapped open and stared blankly at the steaming cup of ramen. His mouth watered at the smell. It smelled far nicer than anything he had ever been allowed to eat. A lot of the time he had to make do with food that was half rotted. His eyes traveled up the arm to rest on the dark.

It was a girl. A very pretty girl. Her dark hair tugged into a high ponytail, she averted her gaze away from him. However, he could still see the scar across her nose, the red stain on her cheeks from the cold and her large, dark eyes with thick lashes. Her skin was like dark honey, or caramel or maybe hazelnut and her full lips formed a slight pout and in her other hand she clutched a plastic bag full of…groceries, maybe?

"Uh…" Naruto could only stare at her.

"Eat" she ordered gruffly. She had a deep voice for a girl.

"Huh?" he blinked. She tightened her grip on her bag.

"Eat" she repeated. "I could hear your stomach growling from across the street"

Naruto stared then slowly took the cup from her. Watching her carefully, he took a cautious bite. The girl didn't do anything, she simply continued to watch out of the corner of her eye. Naryto started to chew the food down, enjoying the taste as he did so. When he was finished, the girl plucked the empty cup from his hand and walked away, stopping to dump the cup in a trash can.

Naruto stared after her.

He thought about the snowflakes landing on her lashes and melting to flow down her dark cheeks like tears. She had noticed his hunger and fed when no one cared. She hadn't insulted him or slapped him or tried to do anything mean. He remembered the old man, Sarutobi, reading to him. In the story, a lonely child had met a woman who had looked after and cared from him and turned out to be an angel.

Naruto climbed to his feet and followed after the angel. He trotted after her, weaving through the streets, his eyes fixed on her the whole time.

Needlessly to say, when the girl arrived at a house that looked slightly run down, she was startled to find the demon vessel behind her. She stared at him uncertainly, wondering what she should do.

Naruto gazed at her with large, pleading eyes. Her eyes flickered and she glanced behind her at her home before sighing and opening the door as she mumbled under her breath. She stepped inside and waited for Naruto. The blonde darted forward and she closed the door behind him. Naruto peered up at her then scampered off to explore. The girl yelped and gave chase.

She found him looking at a picture of the girl at a younger age and her parents. They looked happy and content.

"That your mommy and daddy?" Naruto looked at her.

"Uh…yeah" She seemed jittery and nervous.

"Where are they? Did they leave you all alone?"

Her eyes grew sad and filled with tears. "They were killed by the Fox"

"Oh" Naruto didn't know what to say to that. What do people normally say to something like that. He frowned and tried to think of something. "I don't have a mommy or a daddy either. I don't remember ever having one. And it's not like anyone cares"

That seemed to startle the girl.

"N…no one at all?" she ventured.

"Uh-uh. Everyone hates me and pick on me. They don't care if I'm cold or hungry or hurt. I don't matter"

"Oh" The girl was quiet. "No one cares about me either"

"So you're lonely too?" Naruto looked at her.

The girl stared. This was not what he was expecting. Wasn't this the demon-brat, the hell-child responsible for the tragedy four years ago? Shouldn't he be a cruel, savage little monster? But instead, there was a lonely, neglected child, starved for love and attention, wanting something to care.

A child like her.

"It's alright" the girl murmured. Se was about to say something more but then a growl rang out.

The boys stared at each other before the scarred one gave a crooked grin.

"Still hungry, I see" The blonde gave a sheepish laugh as his stomach rumbled again. "C'mon, I'll make us something to eat"

Naruto grinned and followed the girl. His first friend.

"What's your name? I'm Naruto!"

"Iruka. My name is Umino Iruka"

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Sandaime found out about Naruto's encounter with Iruka and arranged for the brunette to watch Naruto at least once a week. Iruka soon grew comfortable with the blonde and they got along quite well.

However a month later, Naruto got a shock when he found out something about his friend.

"**OHMIGOD!!! YOU'RE A **_**BOY**_**!!!"**

I referred to Iruka as a girl for most of the fic because it focuses on Naruto's perspective and he thought Iruka was girl! Laughs Poor Naruto got quite the shoch when he walked in on Iruka changing!


End file.
